Ive been prescribed 10mg citalopram foe ibs d anxiety and depression . I have health anxiety and experience some nausea most days which I know is probably caused by myself being like this although id much rather not be . I was on amitriptyline 10mg at the start of the year I developmed anxiety whilst on this and I dont know what caused it bit its stuck even after coming off ami in september this year. I feel I do need something to help me I have tried counselling and I had the beat 3 weeks of anxiety free and depression free but aomething has caused me to slip up and its back again Im just too scared to atart citalopram as I dont want it to make me sick im emetophobic as I havent been sick in 10 years so the thought of vomiting terrifies me. I have a 3 yr old daughter so I obviously get up and carry on each day because of her because I have to . But leading a life of every day feeling ill and worrying is taking its toll now :( please can someone share their experiences and what helped you so I know I will get better as I feel like im destined to be like this forever :( thanks in advance

Added 16 Dec 2013:

For my nausea I take metoclopramide 10mg when I feel sick and this does help even if it is all in my head or if it does work I dont know but thats whats putting me off of starting citalopram 10mg as it can cause serotonin syndrome when used together although my dr prescribed me them both and said its fine as they are low doses and so its highly unlikely that serotonin syndrome will occur.i still worry even with her reassurance :(

Responses (2)

Trust your doctor and give yourself the chance to feel better. You may experience some mild side effects when you first start citalopram, but they will subside soon. It will take upwards of a month for the citalopram to reach max effectiveness so be patient.

Hi, your doctor is right about the very low risk of Serotonin syndrome with these 2 medications. Because the doses are very low, i would be very surprised if you had a problem in this area. I have taken Citalopram for about 6 years and have never had a problem with nausea or symptoms of SS, and i am on a very high dose. I have honestly found it to have changed my life for the better! My mother and father both take a low dose, 10mg & 20mg, for anxiety, and they too have found great success with it. I would urge you to give it a go. Please take heed of Laurie's advice though, about the 4 week induction period, you may notice some symptoms to start with, but these should alleviate in time. It really is a very good medication

Thank you for your advice im just very anxious about starting it as had bad experience on paroxetine before and I dont want to be a zombie and feeling sick all the time . Im trying to pluck up the courage to start taking them I think I will start after xmas as I was ill for last xmas and dont want to be ill this year

That's probably not a bad idea... i would usually advise people to start their prescription asap, but, it will take up to & around 4 weeks before you feel a noticeable difference, and during this period, it is common to feel a bit rough, more emotional, possibly more depressed, short term... so why not try to enjoy Christmas, and then start the new medication very soon after

I am deffinately starting them after xmas yesterday I had an anxiety dizzy moment although I didnt consciously feel anxious which made me worry about my blood pressure all day and what was wrong with me . I found it hard to stay asleep lastnight kept waking up and this morning I have woken up hot and anxious for no apparent reason :/ ive taken 10mg propranolol that I was prescribed ages ago for anxiety and have rarely had to take them . This isnt fun and If I knew how to stop it easily I would

Well I finally caved in and decided to just give citalopram a chance and took my first tablet today. Im hoping it helps me sleep. Ive felt a bit yukky today but my ibs is playing up at the moment going hand in hand with my anxiety so I dont think the tablet is to blame as im on a low dose of 10mg and took it with food havent felt nauseous til a tiny bit just now which I always feel bit anxious and sick before bed when im tired as this is when my ibs used to play up and id be up half the night so its what I anticipate will happen even though it more than likely wont. I dont like how if we think something long enough we will feel It I wish my brain had an off button for that function. Ive always been a worrier and over thought things but it's juat gotten worse in the last year and its time to try and get the old me back ... I tried with counselling and cbt but I guess I just need a helping hand along the way in the form of medication. Thank you for your advice

Thanks for letting me know how you are getting on, i would be surprised also, if what you are feeling is nausea from the Citalopram after just the one tablet. I really hope you do well on them... Have a lovely Christmas and hopefully you will soon be feeling much better : )

Ive taken the dose today and experienced a lot of nausea and had panic attack too so have taken a propranolol and a metoclopramide ontop of my citalopram im hoping it wears off soon as I hate feeling as though I will be sick I just worry about it all the time

I was just wondering if you have had (or are still experiencing) any problems with citalopram concerning concentration. I've only been on it for a week now but just can't seem to focus on reading anything - I know this will take time and I make sure that I drink lots of water but it's making me slightly agitated / panicky.